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Friday, March 29, 2024

SSS hit for fudging figures

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TWO opposition congressman accused the Social Security System on Monday of manipulating figures to delude the public about the agency’s P325 billion in uncollected premiums and challenged the state-run pension agency to reveal how much it really failed to collect.

“The P325-b uncollected contribution was reported by SSS itself during the congressional hearings on the SSS Condonation Law of 2009,” Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares, principal author of the SSS pension hike bill that President Benigno Aquino III vetoed Jan. 14.

Explaining actuarial life. Social Security System chairman Emilio de Quiros stresses a point during the Samahang Plaridel Kapihan sa Manila Hotel forum in Manila. New Land Transportation  Office chief Roberto Cabrera III was also at the weekly forum. LINO SANTOS

“SSS was not really truthful when it said that out of 8,869 collection cases they filed since 2010, a total of 7,786 ‘have been terminated due to full payment’ making it appear that they have collected more than 80 percent of the P325-billion uncollected premiums in 2008,” Colmenares said.

“Notice, however, that they did not give the exact amount actually collected, precisely because they cannot publicly admit that they failed to collect the P325 billion,” the congressman added.

“We challenge the SSS to come out with exact amounts collected by them so that the public will know if they are telling the truth here” Colmenares said.

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He recalled that during the congressional hearings on the SSS pension increase in 2012, the SSS reported that as of Dec. 31, 2010 a total of 174,985 employers failed to remit contributions.

“If the SSS has only filed 8,869 collection cases since 2010 it’s a rate of 1,773 cases filed per year. It will take SSS 100 years to collect from these employers. That is not an efficient collection rate,” Colmenares added.

For his part, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate expressed disbelief to the SSS claim that it was able to collect 88 percent of contributions actually due for its 30-million members because it collected P103 billion in 2013.

“We maintain that the SSS collection rate is just 38 percent and we challenge the SSS once more to report how many of its 30-million members were paid for by their employers or covered by this P103-b remittance,” Zarate said.

“SSS cannot claim 88-percent collection rate efficiency if it only collected contributions covering less than half of its 30-million members,” Zarate said.

“We urge the SSS to come out with the complete facts so that the public will know the truth.” Colmenares added.

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